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Saturday, September 24, 2011

I Won't Allow It.

This was my son when he came home from school on Wednesday.

First of all, let's ignore the fact that he does not have self-injurious behaviors at home. And hasn't for a long time. That's not to say that in frustration he won't sometimes bang his head on the couch cushion- but I have not seen him hit his head on the floor in years.

The fact that I am NOT going to ignore is this happened when he was in a room with four other spectrummy kids. Him and one of those other boys require 1:1 support in all locations and times of the day. There were two ed techs in the room. And neither of them have worked with Brian one-on-one. And I still don't have a clear explanation of how it was handled when he threw himself into a tantrum.

The fact of the matter is I wrote the school on Monday- two days prior to this incident- with concerns about staffing and his LEGAL IEP not being met. And heard no response.

Needless to say Brian has not been back to school since Wednesday. And he will not go back until I am told his IEP is being met and I do not have to be concerned about his safety.

It's ridiculous that I am getting absolutely zero communication from the principal, the district's special education director, or our superintendent. It's crazy that I had to take the step to call Disability Rights of Maine. It's insane that I now have other parents of children in the program calling me with concerns. It's a huge red-flag that our special education teacher is resigning a month into the school year. Things are happening. There's going to be change.

It is what you have to do as a parent of a child on the spectrum. As a parent of a child who can't tell me what happens during his day. A child that is not going to be just swept through the school system. This parent won't allow it.

14 comments:

I know this feeling. My son is having difficulty transitioning. And he was banging his head on the table the first few days...it's frustrating. But stay on top of the school and speak to the principal. Just show up at the school and voice your concerns. Call up your local district representative's office - sometimes a nudge from a higher up will get the ball rolling. Good luck. Stay strong. {HUGS}

Oh, this is SO not okay. This is why people burn bridges, this is why sometimes parents need to get a little crazy in IEP meetings - and everyone wonders why we are so *touchy* and *b*tchy*. Do what you have to do, Momma. You have an entire Internet full of parents who have your back.

This is what you have to do as a parent of any child in the public school system. I am honestly scared of what is happening at this point both physically and mentally to our children. I dont have words. Nobodies needs are being met, in most cases our children are not safe, not cared for, and not supervised. I've said it before and I'll say it again......the system is BROKEN.

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. This really is scary and inexcusable in the explanation department. I hope you are getting some BIG answers now. This is not good when the special ed teacher resigns a month into the school year?! What's up with that?

Girl, go kick some butts! We all understand exactly what you are saying about our kids not being able to tell us what happened. You stand strong in not allowing this. And remember we've all got your back!

Autism comes into our lives and it shakes things up. It can be a four-letter word at times yet life goes on and we learn how to deal, how to laugh, and how to "keep swimming". This is the (somewhat) daily log of living with Autism.